So ends our month of fictional universes! But really, we read books full of imagination and wonder year round. Here are a few more imaginary worlds on our TBRs.

Putnam, 2016

The Reader by Traci Chee

The sequel to The Reader comes out this year, and I haven't even read the first one. What is my life coming to?? Goodreads tells me that this book is about Sefia who lives in world where reading is unheard of, but she braves using a new-found book to go search for her lost aunt. I must admit, I don't know too much more about this plot, but a cover like that, a mysterious book and a quest to save the day are good enough for me. - K

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Picking this book is either cheating or a logical progression. Needless to say, after finishing The Bear and the Nightingale, I desperately need to know what happens to Vasilisa and her family. What happens once she leave her home? Will she ever come to terms with her powers? Does she make peace with the village spirits? I suppose we will find out sometime in December. - A

Del Rey, 2018

Candlewick Press, 2017

The Bone Queen by Alison Croggon

When my husband and I were dating, I was horrified to learn that he didn't like fantasy. I told him that if he planned to make this work, he needed to change his mind. Okay, maybe I didn't say that, but whatever I said, he read The Naming and now has reread the series more than I have. Now, after over ten years, the prequel is finally here! As one of my favorite fantasy writers, anything Croggon writes jumps tot he top of my TBR instantaneously. So I'll see you in 500-some pages. - K

The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes

Having grown up on a steady diet of the classics (read: white males), I am always interested in re-tellings of classic tales by female authors. The Children of Jocasta is a retelling of the Oedipus and Antigone stories from the perspectives of two overlooked women in the original tales. Oedipus is one of those guys who is referenced a billion times in all sorts of scenarios, so it will be fascinating to see what it looks like from the female perspective and how that shift in perspective changes/enhances the narrative. - A

Mantle, 2017

HarperTeen, 2017

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

Last year, I needed an exciting adventure book to bring me out of a reading slump. Behold! Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns hit the spot. Three sisters are told that they will have to fight each other to see who will one day become queen. Each girl has a special power that's supposed to help them defeat the other two potential queens. Mysteries are revealed. Boys do stupid things. Intrigue ensues. So good! This fall, the sequel will finally tell me what happened after that cliffhanger ending. - K

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Much to my shame, I have never read Octavia Butler. *cue shock and horror* I know, I know. But I want to amend it as soon as possible, and I think Kindred will be my first Octavia Butler, which is fitting because it is the first science fiction novel written by a African-American woman (that we know of). It's the story of Dana who is taken back in time to and ends up saving the life of a drowning white boy. A white boy who she ends up discovering will be the father of her great-grandmother. Going to add it to my queue now. - A